Energy to create God’s world in our world

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You and I have been created with the energy to create energy. This energy will either be wasted, or put towards the purpose of God in your life.

For example, according to FactRetriever.com, “every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back.”

Whether this is true or not, or exactly how this is calculated, I don’t really know. But we do know that every day we wake up with certain amount of energy which we need in order to function.

The apostle Paul writes to the believers of his time about putting God’s energy to work. We have all been given the energy to create God’s world in our world. We have been given the energy, the ability to build our lives, our families and even our societies according to God’s patterns in this world. The world might never become a paradise on earth (some people believe this is possible), but we all have been called by God to transform it closer to His patterns of life, justice and productivity.

The apostle Paul is telling the believers he is writing to, that in fact he “toils to full exhaustion”, which is the literal translation of what “I labor” means in the Greek (“kopio“). He is “agonizing”, which is how “striving” really translates (“agonizomenos” – to remain “meno” in a state of “agon“, which means to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something) — fight, labor fervently, strive.).

But the apostle wants to make sure everyone understands the source of both his motivation and energy: it is Christ in him, the Holy Spirit at work in him. God’s energy working in him. (“according to his energeian“), which works in Paul like “dynamite” (“dynamei” – Gr.)

I don’t know about you, but just reading all this, fills me up with faith and energy!

This energy has been given to us who have come into oneness (covenant) with the Lord, primarily so we can:

1) Love the Lord our God with all our mind, heart and strength

and

2) To love others as we ourselves have been loved by God

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40

1) On loving the Lord

When we seek God, we surrender to Him, we entrust ourselves to Him and in return we hear from Him words of comfort, direction and correction.

Comfort and reassurance are essential to our lives. We all need them on a ongoing basis, don’t we? The Shepherd of our soul knows just what to say to us, how and when, in order to touch our soul on a deep intimate level. This is how we are reassured. This is how we know deep inside that we are loved, that He is with us and that “everything will be alright” (“all things work together for good”).

Correction is also a form of love, even though many people have experienced various types and degrees of trauma throughout their lives, which prevents them form relating to correction as a way of God loving us. This explains why we have so many “goats” amongst the flock. They know all the right words to say, they have read all the right books and have been to all the important conferences. But deep inside they don’t feel like sheep. On a deep level they abide in fear, a sense of uncertainty and not sensing a personal value (low self-esteem). They despise and fear a life of submission to God because their trauma interprets as hostile everything and anything that has to do with authority figures.

How sad. God is the greatest authority figure ever. All other authority stems from His authority – parental, spousal, legal, societal, professional, etc. James Dobson, in his acclaimed book Dare To Discipline, speaks to this issue, clearly showing that one of the earliest signs of showing parental love is to discipline a child, when the child tests the healthy boundaries set by the parent. It doesn’t feel nice to the child, but it sends a message: the parent so cares of loves the child, that he or she will take the time to apply discipline and reinforce the boundaries that have been set. This means the parent cares and is not just saying some cheap, meaningless words. This is how a child internalizes a sens of “I am important enough” and “I matter enough”, even to the point of my parent following through on what they said I shouldn’t do. “Good, now I know you are committed to me. Now I know you care about me”, is what the child’s brain translates.

Conversely, a parent who doesn’t follow through with discipline, compromises the very integrity if his/her own words, which demoralizes a child, leaves him or her with a sense of being on their own, a sense closer to being alone in a boat in the midst of a storm, rather than a king or a queen sitting on a throne.

All of this correction stuff only works and makes sense within the context of a loving, kind and reassuring parental relationship. He who doesn’t first know how to love and show unconditional love to their child, doesn’t really have the spiritual, moral and ethical right to try to discipline, especially in a way of being firm and strong. This confuses a child and inflicts a wound in their soul, leaving them forever suspicious of the world around them, but most importantly suspicious of those in authority.

Needless to say we have a lot of people out there whose trauma sets them up literally for a life of endless cycle of living in fear and sabotaging themselves and others they are connected with.

The most extreme examples of such cases are those prone to a life of crime, the people who end up populating our already overpopulated prisons.

But don’t be fooled, there are plenty of “high-functioning” goats out there, people you meet every day, who are able to function in various degrees in their lives, yet on a deep level their spiritual and emotional baseline remains fear and anxiety – sometimes throughout their entire lives. Jesus loves the goats, too. However, they are difficult and not too willing to receive the help they need, which is why it’s possible to waste their entire lives running around as wild…well, goats.

When we entrust our lives to Jesus as our Creator, King, Savior and Friend (The Lover of Our Soul), we can finally find true rest. This is what it means “to love yourself” – i.e. to create the space and the time needed to receive God’s love towards you; his comfort, guidance and correction.

As we surrender to Him, we make room for His energy to kick in and to begin energizing our very soul and lives, which energy becomes poured into us in a way that it fills our own need of love and energy, as well as we have excess amounts of it to serve and bless others.

This is how we get to the next arena of God’s energy working in us:

2) Loving our fellow man

Loving our fellow man takes more than just words. It takes time and energy for us to have received God’s love. Likewise, it takes time and energy to love someone else. It’s a whole different matter whether they will receive it or reject it.

  • It takes time and energy to listen, which is one of the primary ways of showing love, appreciation and respect for someone else. Recently, someone I care deeply about, told me that when they spend time with me, they feel like I’m there, giving them my full attention, as if they were the only person in the world that matters to me at that moment. That’s the greatest compliment I could have possibly received. But I wasn’t a good listener for many years. This is something I had to learn about and also learn how to apply in the way I relate to others. I still fail on a regular basis to be a good listener.
  • It takes time and energy to actually “help” people. Words are cheap. In real life there are real situations and the people we tell we care about will need us to be “there” for them. This takes time and energy. People who show up for other people in their time of need, potentially may strike some of the greatest friendships.
  • It takes time and energy for married couples to develop their relationship and even to have sex. Many studies have shown that tiredness is a huge factor in sexless marriages.
  • It takes time and energy to rear children.
  • It takes time and energy to help our parents when they become elderly.
  • It takes time and energy to be a good neighbor to those you live next to, or close by.
  • It takes time and energy to foster good relationships with colleagues, business partners and clients, if you own a business or if you are building a professional career.

In all of this, God desires for us to abide in Him on a daily basis because

“in Him we live and move and have our being”. (Acts 17:28)

Rejecting God leaves us at a terrible place of being on our own when facing the chaos of life and the never ending demand on us by others, by work and by circumstances. It is understandable why people give up on life and others, feeling like they give of themselves but get very little in return. People will always fail us, if this is all we live by. I refuse to depend on what people can do for me. I accept people’s limitations and let people be who they are. My ultimate expectation is with God and he has never let me down.

God desires to be our Primary Source and Provider of life, strength, joy, peace and energy, which we all need all the time. He wants to give us the energy needed to create God’s world in our world. He is good and his love endures forever. Bad things do happen and they will happen. However, this doesn’t change who He is and who He desires to be to us as we go through the journey of life.

George Bakalov

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How can the Church become Kingdom Influencers and establish Law and Order in an unruly world?

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By Samuel Rivers, Jr. for Threefold Christian Alliance

Today, the Church is losing its influence in American culture, and Apostles, Prophets, and the Saints should do something about it. It is time to take action and ready ourselves to go through the Gates of Our Nation, States, Counties, and Cities to serve the world. For those who hear and respond, they will be the ones to lead in commerce, advise officials concerning foreign affairs, warn world leaders against foreign alliances, and attack and dismantle the social injustices of the day.

Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people;
Build up, build up the highway; Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples (Isaiah 62:10).

As spiritual leaders, it is upon us to shake off mediocrity and live up to the call and commission of God. He inspires people worldwide to reach for and become more than they ever thought possible. God has provided through scripture many examples in the historical text, as well as, inspirational encouragement to move forward:

That in blessings I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed and the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. (Genesis 22:17).

Throughout scripture and as recorded by the historian Josephus (Of the War, Book V, v, 3), the “gates” of a city was the place for vital activities for the organisation and health of the city and the citizens within. Naturally, it was the area for defence and easily evolved as the marketplace location, where business and social life thrived. The Gates were also the place for justice and law to be established publicly, for the kings and judges would mete out their decisions at the opening of the gate. If an elder had a seat at the gate, it was a high honor. The seats of authority established at the gate are the predecessors for the Branches of Government in our society today: Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary decisions were made among the kings, rulers, ambassadors, and prophets.

Go through, go through the gates

Godly governance requires the proper attitudes, techniques, methods, and strategies that will penetrate every area of society and impact future generations. Wisdom in governing begins with respect and love for your neighbour, and worship, love and honor to God with our whole heart. These attitudes are commanded by God and certainly begin to paint the proper picture of the believer in authority.

Honor every person, love your brethren, worship God and honor Kings (I Peter 2:17).

Like a natural King of the earth, the ultimate rule of Civic Government is part of God’s supreme reign and responsibility.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King (Matthew 22:2).

“Kingdom of Heaven” – Spiritual; “like a King” – Political

Samuel was a Prophet, Priest and Judge (I Samuel 3:1-21).
Samuel, a “Prophet and Priest” – Spiritual; Samuel, a “Judge” – Political

Therefore, it is His to promote or position whom He will to govern the people, both spiritually and naturally (civically). Samuel ruled in both natural and spiritual realms. Samuel kept Israel under the rule and spiritual subjection of God by decreeing God’s judging action, not wavering, to reinforce the wisdom and word of God. And Samuel was effective in his mission through personal, corporate, and territorial prophecy, continued prayer, and the offered sacrifices on behalf of God’s people. He also accomplished much through the training and mentorship of prophets, priests, and kings, his supernatural ministry, by being God’s divine oracle, and from ministering in the house of the LORD.

Faith in God and morality are central to the civic virtue required for our republic to survive and prosper;

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars.”
George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution is only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
John Adams, Address to the US Military (1798)

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835)

Augustine, on the other hand, wrote The City of God where he argued that the City of God (God’s kingdom) transcended the City of Man (Rome) and was not dependent upon it. Yet, the peace of the (citizens of the) Heavenly city is in direct relation to the harmony of the earthly city.

The earthly city, which does not live by faith, seeks an earthly peace, and the end it proposes, in the well-ordered concord of civic obedience and rule, is the combination of men’s wills to attain the things which are helpful to this life. The heavenly city, or rather the part of it which sojourns on earth and lives by faith, makes use of this peace only because it must, until this mortal condition which necessitates it shall pass away (Augustine, City of God, Ch. 17, 3).

Clear the way for the people

It is imperative that we re-establish our positions to not only “occupy until I come” (Luke 19:13), but also, to become leaders and towering giants in government.

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come (Luke 19:12-13).
Historically, Apostles and Prophets are a called people holding a unique place in world history. They were great and courageous souls—the guides to proper religious belief and correct conduct. Apostles and Prophets were outstanding men and women of character, with great minds, credibility, and members of devout study and training groups.

Apostles and Prophets, with the reputation for wisdom, continually were positioned to speak on behalf of God—delivering messages from the mind, heart, emotions, and will of God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. These divine messages were proclaimed to the church, regions and nations, as well as, individuals, spiritual leaders, and social and political leaders. The purpose of these messages through these oracles was to provide biblical insight and alignment and, therefore, success in their duties and responsibilities each commanded.

The time is upon us to press into that level of effectiveness and productivity in society, not allowing anything to baffle us or prevent us from going forward.

  • …of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do– (I Chronicles 12).
  • When the righteous are positioned in seats of authority, we will see the church catapult into greater levels of achievement in society—the plans and plots of foreign enemies will be revealed, the state of our nation and the state of the state will be made known by the church (2 Kings 6).
  • The prophet of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there (2 Kings 6:9).

Some Apostles and Prophets of today, even now hear the call and reason to be leaders in the kingdoms of this world— by making known the wisdom of God to the kingdoms of this world, through our unique gifting, anointing, and biblical understanding.

It will take time to reinstate the saint’s role in civic government; first, by renewing the minds of church leadership and laity to let go of an old mindset of antiquated or misunderstood laws (i.e. separation of Church and State) and then, using new courage, step into places of influence in Our Nation’s Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Branches of government.

Build up, build up the highway

Following are scripture examples of key principles of, and godly leaders in, civic government: first and foremost, God is the one who decrees and declares laws.

  • The Lord is our lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22).
  • There is one lawgiver (James 4:12).
  • It is the responsibility of His Church to write legislation and appoint judges and officers in all the towns (Deuteronomy 16:18).
  • When the righteous rule, there is rejoicing in the city (Proverbs 29:2).
  • We shall possess the gates of our enemies (Genesis 22:17).
  • We shall possess the gates of those that hate us (Genesis 24:60).
  • Joseph exalted to Governor (Genesis 41:37-44).
  • Deborah called to Judge (Judges 4).
  • Daniel promoted to Governor (Daniel 2:46-49).
  • All authorities are established by God (Romans 13:1-5).
  • We are predestined to lead, govern and legislate in the midst of our enemies (Psalm 110:1-3).

The principal and most damaging widespread belief restricting the Saint from these governmental positions of authority is the belief that the minister of the gospel should have no part in politics. This limiting idea, embedded in the Church mind, has done more to stagnate the mission of apostles, prophets, and saints more than any other. This false belief is simply a stubborn fear and keeps one caught in the old model of thinking. Denying this aspect of the Apostles’ and Prophets’ calling to kings, world leaders, and commander of armies, is wreaking havoc in the effectiveness of the Christian Body advancing in Power and Influence.

As we break out of this old pattern of limited thinking, we will begin to experience and demonstrate the height and width of God’s Purpose and Vision for Our World. Using His Power, Authority, and the depth of His Wisdom and Intelligence, we will release His divine messages into the ears of those who manage worldly affairs.

As the Prophets and Apostles operated in laser-sharp focus, accuracy, and integrity— the time is now for saints to step up and reach their full capacity and potential of living a Holy Spirit-led life, filled with Godly revelation and knowledge, growing in intelligence and wisdom and impacting the world.

The whole Earth is waiting for a public demonstration of the saints; and God commands us to war and take possession of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven and establishing His will, governance and values on earth until all dominions serve and obey Him.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were 10 times better in every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about than all the diviners, priests and mediums in the entire kingdom (Daniel 1:20).

Remove the stones

Personal transformation is needed.

  • Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit (Daniel 6:3).
  • Be strong for the people and the city (I Chronicles 19:12,13).
  • Free yourself from self-limiting beliefs that hold you back. Identify and eliminate negative emotions and false doctrines. Develop clarity about who we are and why you are here. Unlock the power of your spiritual gifts and learn to release the anointing.
  • Overcome every attack that comes, dominate the devil, reclaim the anointing and receive the impartation of Christ, Savior and King (Luke 4:14,18-19,21).
  • Reach beyond the walls of the church. Be the full expression of God’s glory, with clear, biblical knowledge of our important role in the world.
  • God is looking for those He can strongly support (II Chronicles 16:9).

Lift up a standard over the peoples

To be relevant the Church must take a leap of faith (with knowledge) and start to seek positions in the power bases. In doing so, we build citadels of hope for those in the world to witness–solving problems and overcoming worldly conflicts and obstacles—rapidly leading our nation to greater victories with illumination, insight, and wisdom from God (Daniel 5:10-12).

Daniel had an extraordinary spirit of knowledge, insight, and the ability to interpret dreams. He explained enigmas and solved difficult problems. No one could find any ground for accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; they could not find any evidence of corruption or negligence. Nothing baffled Daniel; he was not defiled by the customs and cultures of the day (Daniel 5 & 6).

World leaders must see the Church with an extraordinary spirit possessing insight, intelligence, wisdom and perception, the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. The King of Babylon said to Daniel,

Surely your God is God……You have been able to reveal this mystery (Daniel 2:14-48).

Our task ahead is to bring the church to the knowledge of how important the training of saints to serve in seats of authority by understanding biblical principles concerning our role in government. The biblical texts record the positions of the righteous believer repeatedly occupying positions of authority in government and these examples should be the accepted and realistic expectation of the saintly life in civic service.

Living a yielded and obedient life to the Word of God is the common detail in each of the personal examples of authority and rule as recorded in the Bible. The saint in power and position of influence with a life empowered and fueled by the Holy Spirit is equipped to perform supernatural acts and demonstrate the kingdom truths. When this realm of divine reality is accepted and reached, there is nothing that will restrain an equipped body of believers ready to govern, legislate and demonstrate God’s judgment in this present world.

Expecting this transformational outcome, individually and corporately, will require high engagement: accelerated studies and learning, the gain of knowledge and experience through mentorship and fathering. These deliberate steps will give believers the knowledge, insight, and wisdom to dramatically enhance their lives ethically—equipped to lead, govern, legislate, and make righteous judgments.

Through understanding, operating, and properly discerning kingdom principles, the process of breakthrough begins. Believers will experience the certainty of apostles, prophets, godly judges, and officers in every branch of government to serve with righteous judgment, not denying justice, showing partiality or accepting bribes (I Kings 22:10; Deuteronomy 16:18,19; Proverbs 29:2).

We owe the world more… an intelligent encounter with God!

God has given us courage, a sound mind, and strength to perform conquests; He has given us the ability to face and resolve worldly conflicts, just as He has equipped us to display wisdom, knowledge, and insight, or to perform miracles, heal the sick, and strengthen the faith of the weak.

And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers, when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Acts 3:25).

As saints, we are challenged to bless the nations of this world with lawful expertise leading the families of the world into holiness, prosperity, success and breakthroughs in society, in business, and in the political arenas.

It is time for the saints to jump in, take risks, and challenge ourselves. We must trust God to grant us boldness and strengthen us to fulfil His plans as Saints on the Earth. Our God-given instincts, innate talents and anointing are calling out for use!

Jesus had no dependence on human reasoning.

I can do nothing on my own (John 5:30).

Devoted to God and the ways of righteousness, the men and women of the Bible used their personal relationship with God and His word to guide the decisions of kings and nations. It is the duty of the Apostles and Prophets to bridge the gap of church and politics, and rewrite this school of thought— separation of church and state—to being positioned in leadership roles in Government and in cabinets of Governments, Educational Institutions, Media, Arts & Entertainment industries, and Business, by becoming effective saints doing exploits with our dependence solely on the Father.

Go through the gates! Let us go through the Gates!!!

Samuel Rivers Jr. is a member of the board of Threefold Christian Alliance. He is an Ordained Minister, Motivational Speaker, Educator, The Republican Whip-Member of SC House of Representatives District 15 -Berkeley & Charleston Counties. You can learn more about his work in the South Carolina House of Representatives at this website www.samuelriversjr.com and more about his ministry at www.thevoiceofthelordintl.com

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What does ‘revelation’ mean anyway?

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So what does ‘revelation’ mean anyway?

Let’s take a look at some texts in the New Testament and try to get some clarity on this.

The apostle Paul wrote about the importance of revelation knowledge on a number of occasions. However, it’s worth noting there is, of course, a whole entire book in the New Testament called The Book Of Revelation.

The Greek term here is “apokalupsis” and yes, it’s root word for the modern day word “apocalypse”. But worry not, we are not going to talk about the end of the world right now, after all, if and when the end comes, it will all be over so why even worry about it, right?

The revelation I want to draw our attention to is the work of the Holy Spirit that has to do with the revealing of things that have to do with the Kingdom of God, with the realm of God, but are not accessible to the natural man.

So let’s begin by looking at the second chapter in the first letter of the apostle Paul to the body of Christ in Corinth. (We know that the chapter and verse organization of the Scripture content wasn’t part of the way these letters were given originally, but nevertheless, the whole of chapter two is dedicated to making a contrast between the natural and the spiritual man, as well as natural and spiritual knowledge.)

Natural knowledge is knowledge we obtain by observation and by the empirical, scientific method, allowing us to make certain conclusions based on the data.

Spiritual knowledge, by contrast, is knowledge, something we become aware of or gain access to, or are able to see and understand, based on the revealing work of the Holy Spirit.

But what does it mean?

“But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” 1 Cor. 2:7

I can see how some people who are more inclined to seek the thrill of accessing the spiritual realm, would get excited about this verse and others like it. Secret and hidden wisdom of God? Wait a minute, is this a New Age seminar or the Bible we’re reading?

Yes, it is the Bible, and it’s the writing of it’s most prolific New Testament author, as well as probably the most active and productive amongst the apostles if such comparison is even appropriate.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” — these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” 1 Cor 2:9-10

Paul states clearly that God reveals to us through the Spirit things that are real to Him but unseen to our natural senses.

So there it is, revelation is the Spirit working to reveal to us things that are reality in the Kingdom of God, but are hidden from our senses, mind, i.e the natural man.

Why is this important for us to define?

Because are we literally drowning in a sea of false “revelation”, also known as the occult. The occult (which means literally “hidden”, as in “hidden knowledge of spiritual kind”), is false “revelation”. It doesn’t reveal anything that is actually real. It only “reveals” things demons project onto people’s minds. It’s deception. A religious deception is also a form of the occult. When Paul speaks of people preaching a “false” Christ, it really speaks of an “occult” Christ, something that really isn’t, a Christ that’s the product of the perverted imagination of people’s minds inspired of demons. These Paul calls “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

By contrast, when the Holy Spirit reveals something, it is something real, something that actually exists, whether it’s God and his blessed creation or the realm of darkness. If the Spirit opens eyes to something like an angel, it’s because the angel is there, it actually exists.

Not so with the occult.

The occult is actually the false revealing of things that don’t really exist in order to lead us astray and captivate our minds, hearts and will away from God. Satan gains access to our mind, soul and possibly our body when we accept false, occult knowledge about spiritual things.

One more verse:

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor. 2:14

The natural “person” or in other words, the mind of someone who relies on their senses alone, not only is oblivious to the realities of the Kingdom of God and the spiritual world, to the natural mind all this might is “folly”, as Paul puts it.

Notice when Paul says “the things of the Spirit of God”, he means what the Holy Spirit reveals in regards to Jesus, the cross, the Kingdom of God, etc. So someone whose thought patterns are deeply entrenched for example in Judaism, even though it’s rooted in God’s Truth and in the Torah, as soon as you bring up the Son of God to someone like this, their mind revolts and the reject the revelation, or the truth of Jesus and His Cross and Resurrection. To the natural person, it sounds like “folly”.

Today’s agnostics, atheists, and naturalists are a good example of people who rely solely on their natural senses, even to the point of denying God and the divine origins of life. Notice I said “solely”. I believe in the scientific method and the knowledge that it gives us about the natural world and its laws. However, this method is limited to empirical knowledge and fails completely when it comes to probably the most central of all issues and that is the soul. No one has any understanding of what the soul is, it can’t be measured, quantified or dissected and yet it’s THE most important part of who we are as human beings and the very purpose of life itself. Jesus said:

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Mat. 16:26

The scientific method can give us much (not all) knowledge about the natural world. But if it can’t account for the soul, the very core of who we are as human beings, what good is it to us? It’s only good for certain limited things and that’s the truth.

The Bible doesn’t give us all there is to be known about the spirit of man, or the soul, but it gives us much, it gives us enough knowledge for us to handle this life and it certainly gives us more what empirically based science has ever given us on this subject.

Furthermore, the natural world itself “reveals” to us there is a Creator by it’s sheer beauty, design, perfection and complexity.

What are some of the things God desires to “reveal” to us? Let me draw a quick list here enough to get you going in your own pursuit of the things of God on this subject:

  • Who He is
  • The correct meaning of Scripture
  • Who we are (as He sees us) – revealing our original purpose
  • Who other people are in Him – how God sees other people
  • The nature of His Kingdom
  • The presence and the work of evil
  • And more…

I can provide many other details for an in-depth study of each of these, but this is not what this article is designed to do. Ask me about The Apostolic Institute for more in-depth studies in the Word of God.

CONCLUSION: For our eyes to be opened to the Kingdom of God we must be born again (John 3:4). But revelation knowledge doesn’t end there. It requires us to remain humble, seeking and hungry so we can remain at a place of continued spiritual growth. Yet God doesn’t “owe” this to anyone. He is not obligated to reveal anything to anyone, especially not on their terms. That’s called “testing the Lord” and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone! Rather, when we humble ourselves and we open up our hearts for him, He is faithful and true to reveal things to us about Him, about ourselves, about our kids, about other people, about things in Heaven and things on earth.

God desires most of all to reveal to us the cross, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. This happens as we dig into the Word of God and apply the effort needed on a daily basis. People who take lightly the Word of God shouldn’t expect much spiritual revelation. God only reveals his secrets to people who love Him and who respect and study His Word – not in an academic manner alone, but mostly relying on the Spirit to illuminate our mind, spirit and soul.

George Bakalov

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Micro-church Fundamentals

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Someone asked me recently how I define a micro-church. I think this has yet to be determined and defined, but there are some basics attributes of what makes a healthy micro-church that shouldn’t be too difficult for us to understand.

First off, it’s probably a good thing to ask ourselves how do we define “church”, before we can dive into what makes up a micro-church. After all, we are borrowing a term that has been used for centuries to mean one thing and we’re adding to it one of the most emblematic terms, symbolic of the technology revolutions (micro). I didn’t hear anyone talk about micro-churches until just recently Lance Wallnau actually did talk about this trend in one of this Facebook video chats. In fact, I wrote to Lance to thank him and let him know that as an early adopter I got so excited about what the Lord began to show me already 4 years ago, that I purchased the domain www.microchurch.us! Lance brought some very needed affirmation to those of us who have seen this wave rising across the world.

So what’s the main idea with micro-churches?

The whole idea here is to marry (in the right way), something ancient to something modern and come up with a working model of a functional vehicle for Christian life in a community that represents adequately the Body of Christ. Actually, the task of defining “church” might be a lot more challenging than defining “micro-church” in and of itself. In fact, if we take a good, long, fresh look at what “church” really means, based on the teachings of Jesus, the apostles and early Christians, defining “micro-church” might simply boil down to describing the mechanics of how to do micro-church, rather than get too dogmatic about defining it.

However, since the task of defining (or redefining) the very word and concept of “church” as it has been known traditionally in Christendom, is quite a daunting and challenging endeavour, I’ll skip it for now and will jump right into the micro-church idea as a stand alone concept.

The way I see it after much prayer, research and observation can be summed up this way: *a micro-church is a small, sustainable body of believers, which allows for the healthy development of a believer from the point of coming to faith in Christ, all the way to releasing people in who they are meant to be as a whole person, spiritual and natural giftings working together towards and life of peace, joy and righteousness in the Holy Spirit.”

I’ll try to break this down to its most essential attributes:

  • Small: possibly anywhere between 5 on the low end, all the way to 15 members, which might be pushing it.
  • Sustainable: being able to stand on its own feet, not critically dependent on the “mother ship”.
  • Healthy development: the leadership and the people understand the process and are aware of the pitfalls and the possibilities. People choose to go through the process and pursue desired personal and body-life outcomes. Boundaries are well accepted and honoured. Warmth, empathy, and common sense carry the group through the tough seasons in this sustained effort.
  • Releasing: leaders understand the lifecycle of discipleship, how people work, how life circumstances play out and what role spiritual gifts play in it all. Activation is key to avoiding stagnation and thus preventing the religious spirit from gaining a foothold.
  • Guidance: the process of oversight and ongoing equipping. The leader of a micro-church is someone who has a clear understanding of the spiritual authority God has given them, what this means, who they are accountable to and what larger context they are part of and why.

Ideally, micro-churches will get planted or adopted by an “Antioch” type of a local or regional apostolic team (the apostolate), which will usually be made up of the three leading gifts listed by Paul in 1 Cor. 12:28 

“…God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers..”

The apostolic team, identifies (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), the right overseer/leader for a specific area. This future overseer of a micro-church must be trained and nurtured to a place of activation. The apostolic team is part of the initial effort of planting a micro-church or adopting it and bringing oversight to it. The next phase is development, growth and potentially the micro-church branching out into other areas.

One apostolic team might serve in a city or in a rural area where tens or even hundreds of churches are part of its conglomerate. Periodically the micro-churches come together as one body to share their testimonies, to get “baptized” into the spirit of unity and receive inspiration for tomorrow. These can be monthly or bi-monthly gatherings, or whatever the leadership and the people deem feasible based on their local context, culture, and preference.

The structure is kept light and straightforward. No need for permanent, excessive buildings and big staffs. Most resources: people (time, energy and expertise) as well as money, are being poured into helping or developing people, not building projects or programs.

There are definite differences between the micro-church concept as compared to house churches and cell churches. These differences will be discussed in future posts at length.

George Bakalov

PS: To lighten things up a bit, check out this funny (and well produced) video by RightNowMedia.org :)

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